Book #55: Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came by M.C. Beaton
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I would have probably given this one 3.5 stars if possible because of the first chapter, which had very little connection to the rest of the book.
So, the blurb made me think this would be set entirely in the South Pacific, where Agatha jets off to at the start, only to return home in the same chapter. There is a mention of a possible murder, but then it is all but forgotten about.
The main plot involves a bride who is found floating dead in flood waters, apparently dead of a heroin overdose. As usual, Agatha starts investigating, mostly by pretending to be working for a TV channel. Despite the heavy subject matter involving drugs, the book manages some of the funniest moments in the series. These mostly involve farcical misunderstandings between Agatha and her new neighbour John (who I don't recall being in the TV adaptations).
Despite the opening, this felt like one of the better instalments in the series, mostly because of a number of unexpected plot twists and threats that kept me on my toes; there was quite a clever moment involving a wig used by Agatha as a disguise.
In the end, the book did return to the continuous will-they-won't-they love story involving Agatha and James Lacey, with an epilogue that I found to be quite touching, poignant, and sad at the same time.
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